On 2 December 2024, the UNOV/UNODC Gender Team and UNODC Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Section hosted the Webinar “From Awareness to Action: Strengthening Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration to Prevent Femicide” in commemoration of the “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” global UN Campaign.
The webinar featured expert panellists to bring together diverse perspectives to address femicide prevention. The panel discussion addressed the latest trends in gender-related killings and insights on promising practices and approaches aimed at eliminating gender-based violence, to contribute to broader advocacy and stakeholder engagement to prevent femicides.
Globally, violence against women remains one of the most pervasive human rights violations. It has many aspects: it includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological and emotional violence, traditional and cultural practices that are dangerous to women’s health and lives, sexual violence in situations of political instability and conflict, forced prostitution and human trafficking. Violence deprives women and girls of the right to equality, diminishes human dignity and limits opportunities for fundamental freedoms. As a form of gender-based discrimination, violence against women and girls is primarily driven by gender inequality and further amplifies the unequal distribution of power, resources, and opportunities in society.
Nearly one in three women have experienced physical and/or intimate partner violence, non-partner violence, or both, at least once in their lifetime. Femicide, the intentional killing of women and girls because of their gender, is a critical global issue and represents the most brutal and extreme form of gender-based violence. Urgent action is required to enhance our understanding of gender-related killings and strengthen responses to violence against women and girls.
This event is part of the global ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence’ campaign, which starts on 25 November until 10 December. The campaign calls for unified global action to eliminate all forms of violence against women, making it an ideal platform to spotlight this pressing issue. Additionally, this effort feeds into the broader context of Beijing+30, which marks 30 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action—a milestone agenda for gender equality and the empowerment of women. Both initiatives offer vital opportunities to highlight the urgency of addressing violence against women as a central issue in the pursuit of gender equality.
